Located on cobbled Oberdorfstrasse in Zurich’s old town where James Joyce penned Ulysses and steps from the city’s namesake lake, this arty hotel occupies a former 13th-century tavern. Today, Hotel Otter is perhaps the neighborhood’s best budget hotel, and its Wüste Bar is a popular spot with young hipsters sipping gespritzte weisse (white wine spritzers). The 16 guest rooms are recently refurbished with themes like African Lodge and Pop Art, created by local designers. Each floor shares a bathroom, but Wi-Fi and breakfast are complimentary. From $142.

Anyone interested in the city’s energetic nightlife will want to be based near Zurich West. The city’s former industrial area features landmarks like the Freitag Tower, a stack of shipping containers turned boutique, and the Im Viadukt, an active train viaduct converted into a market hall with a handsome oyster bar, sleek wine shop, and casual locavore restaurant. Though easyHotel is a chain with small rooms, it features a clean and modern decor on a quiet residential street. From $96.

Go beyond Zurich’s tourist-trodden Bahnhofstrasse and Niederdorf by bunking down in Kreis 3, a vibrant residential area where the city’s young creative set live among a sprinkling of under-the-radar galleries. Hotel Neufeld sits on a bustling corner of Goldbrunnenplatz, 15 minutes from the lake on the No. 9 tram. Its 40 bright and soundproof rooms have serene beds dressed in neutral colors, flat-screen TVs, and views of Uetliberg’s verdant hills. From $145.

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